


the list

by hon_eyyy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Attempt at Humor, Fluff, M/M, Na Jaemin is Whipped, Na Jaemin-centric, Slice of Life, teacher!jaehyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:08:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29522736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hon_eyyy/pseuds/hon_eyyy
Summary: "Jaehyun gave him exercises, he said 'look at my mouth, see what my tongue does?' or 'you need to touch your teeth with your tongue, like this', and Jaemin was gone. Completely, absolutely gone. Each tutoring session, something new catches Jaemin's attention and he's bewildered with himself, with how lucky he is that this is his predicament.He has a crush on his teacher and there's nothing he can do about it, aside from watching Jaehyun's mouth move, just like he was ordered."(or: jaehyun is jaemin's hot english tutor, and jaemin starts a list of why jaehyun is the prettiest person on earth)
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Na Jaemin
Comments: 6
Kudos: 67





	the list

**Author's Note:**

> hey, there!
> 
> it's me, with yet again another rarepair! honestly a crime that we don't have more 2jae fics out there, so i'm doing my part and contributing to the tag. inspired by the 2jae episode of sun&moon.
> 
> hope you like it :)
> 
> ps: as usual, it is not beta-ed/edited and i might have let some errors slip on my readings, so pls forgive me.

"English, Jaemin."

Right. That's why he's here at the library with Jaehyun. To study, not to stare at Jaehyun's pretty face and daydream about pinching his cheeks and kissing it.

"Sorry, I got distracted."

"I could tell. Your mind always flies away, but today's worse." Jaehyun furrows his brows in concern. "Did anything happen?"

Jaemin feels bad for lying (well, omitting), but it's not like he can just say _oh, I got lost in your dimples_ to Jaehyun. "Oh, no. No. Nothing major, I couldn't concentrate all day. Should've cancelled, huh? I know you're super busy this week."

"I needed a distraction. Meeting you is better than Netflix."

Jaemin will _not_ blush. He _won't_. Jaemin is glad that, for such an intelligent person, Jaehyun is a little slow noticing things like that. He often wonders how someone as handsome as Jaehyun gets to this point in life without developing an extra sense to detect people hitting on him, but he seems clueless. Jaemin can spot an unwanted advance coming from miles away, being pretty himself. But the point is: Jaehyun never catches his nervous laughs, his blushing or his non-purposeful corny pick up lines (they just slip, ok?).

Ever since day one, Jaehyun's been like this, welcoming and oblivious. They met through an ad Jaehyun posted on one of the college groups offering English classes, and Jaemin was one of the many, many underclassmen that responded. Turns out Jaehyun was friends with Donghyuck, who was Jaemin's friend, albeit a recent addition to his circle through Jeno. Donghyuck was the type of person to get close fast, and also hard to get rid of. Unbeknownst to Jaemin, he told Jaehyun to take him on as a student, bumping him up from the waiting list that had been created, and that's how he found himself with an English tutor after having struggled for _years_ with his pronunciation.

Jaemin reads just fine, never uses subtitles and can manage writing the much needed emails to his american employers, but talking? Nope. Not his thing. Jaehyun was patient, nice and (this is important) gorgeous. Maybe the fact that all of Jaemin's past English teachers had been old Korean ladies didn't help his motivation to pay attention when they explained phonemes, colloquialisms and speech patterns, or maybe Jaemin would never learn, and he had been ok with that until he met Jaehyun.

Those dimples gave him more than enough motivation to try and learn. And he did get better. He has entire conversations with Jaehyun without stuttering now; the awkward pauses are still there, but slowly disappearing. At first, he struggled with overcoming his embarrassment of sounding perfectly fine inside his head but ridiculous out loud, his tongue moving weird and speaking different sounds from the ones he wanted. Jaehyun gave him exercises, he said _look at my mouth, see what my tongue does?_ or _you need to touch your teeth with your tongue, like this_ , and Jaemin was gone. Completely, absolutely gone. Each tutoring session, something new catches Jaemin's attention and he's bewildered with himself, with how lucky he is that _this_ is his predicament.

He has a crush on his teacher and there's nothing he can do about it, aside from watching Jaehyun's mouth move, just like he was ordered.

—

It's their third time meeting and by now Jaemin knows enough about Jaehyun to greet him with coffee, both their typical orders with similar high caffeine levels. Jaemin feels like he could fly with the smile Jaehyun gives him. His face lights up whenever he smiles, eyes becoming lines, dimples getting deeper, whiskers forming around his nose and eyes. It's the first thing Jaemin notices that makes Jaehyun uniquely beautiful to him. The second is the way he can stay completely still, a weird stance that makes him look like he's not real — not human, at least —, which, to Jaemin, makes a lot of sense.

They are well into a lesson about the _th_ sound, the bane of Jaemin's existence. Jaehyun warned him that they'd never stop revisiting any of the extra English phonemes, but they'd focus on the ones Jaemin struggles with the most. He's not used to having to talk so much in class, so Jaehyun makes his points and lulls Jaemin into conversation, engaging him in whatever subject he wants. He stops Jaemin sometimes to correct and stress what they studied, or maybe to teach him expressions that are more fitting, but mostly they just talk.

Jaemin learns that Jaehyun is a grad student, researching English influences on modern Korean at the Linguistics program. He learns that Donghyuck roomed with Jaehyun for a semester before Jaehyun moved out of campus to his own apartment, but remained friends because he found Donghyuck easy to like. They share a love for old people music and online gaming, and Jaemin can relate with the latter. He stutters when explaining what he plays and with specific gaming terms, but Jaehyun, with the same content expression on his face, helps him get his point across.

"You're evolving really fast. I think you just needed a little push." Jaehyun says when they are getting ready to leave. Jaemin is glad he found the push he needs in human form.

He scrunches his nose, unsure. "I'm not sure I'd call it fast, but I was pretty bad, so any progress might seem like a big deal, right?"

"That's not how it works, but eh, just accept the compliment."

Jaehyun has a little smile on his face, that might as well go on the _Why is Jaehyun so pretty?_ list, and Jaemin blushes. Again. It's inconvenient and unprecedented for him — he's the one that makes people blush. When Jaehyun doesn't notice, again, Jaemin moves on, thanking him and saying goodbye. He's not so sure he wants to evolve that fast. If he does, there won't be new additions to his Jaehyun list every week.

—

"I just don't get it." Donghyuck says, looking at Jaemin like he's a fly that won't go away. Which means Jaemin definitely won't go away now, not until Donghyuck understands.

"How can you _not_? Look at him!" He says, exasperated, gesturing in Jaehyun's direction.

They're at a party, not an uncommon occurrence, but certainly a different kind from the ones he's used to going. But Jeno, Jaemin's roommate and Donghyuck's boyfriend, has an older brother that invited them and Jaemin finds himself drinking wine, of all things, at an almost packed living room with a bunch of grad students, plus the three of them. He has to admit it's much, much better than the usual frat parties Jeno drags him to. Jaemin wonders if it's because they're older or because Jeno's brother is meticulous like that.

"Oh, it's definitely because it's Doyoung's party. Had it been Johnny's we'd be looking at someone doing a keg stand on the balcony or something." Donghyuck snorts.

Jeno looks at him fondly and Jaemin wants to throw the wine in his face. He hates third wheeling, even if he loves the individuals that constitute this particular couple. "Yeah, Doyoung likes treating his friends, and he has money now, so…"

"So we should come to his parties to get drunk in style, got it."

Jaemin doesn't understand alcohol's appeal, but it's either alcohol or water, and he drinks enough water as is. Someone is willing to pay for an honest to God good wine, of course he will drink it. He's already tipsy — tipsy in Jaemin's scale, which might as well be not tipsy at all, but there's something softening his vision, his cue that the wine will be hitting him soon — when he sees Jaehyun. They have never met outside of their tutoring classes, when Jaehyun's usually in stereotypical university teacher outfits, but that's not the Jaehyun Jaemin is looking at right now.

"Hyuck, even I admit the dude is pretty hot." Jeno says, backing Jaemin's rant about how Jaehyun looks delectable in his all black outfit.

"I lived with the guy, maybe I just got used to him. Like, I can see he's not ugly, but I don't get your small-" Donghyuck makes the gesture with his hands. "-obsession with him."

Jaemin rolls his eyes. "Not an obsession."

"Yet." Jeno mumbles.

"Alright, but you get it." Jeno nods. "He's… Jaehyun's just- this is so frustrating, how can someone be so perfect and so _hot_?" Jaemin is whining and he can feel his inner sober self getting embarrassed, but that's something for later.

"He's always been hot. Like, when I was in highschool and he was still dating Doyoung-"

"Dating WHO?" Jaemin is baffled. He doesn't have a chance. None.

Jeno continues as if he hadn't said anything. "-he'd spend some weekends with us because of the pool and dude, that was a vision. He's partially to blame for my gay awakening, I think." Donghyuck pinches him. "Ok, Hyuck, do _not_ repeat this to anyone because my brother would kill me."

"I'm pretending you didn't even open your mouth."

Jaemin is flabbergasted, still. "I'm not pretending shit, what the fuck do you mean they dated?"

He chose that moment to look Jaehyun's way again only to see Doyoung's arm circling Jaehyun's shoulders, Jaehyun laying his head on his friend. Doyoung is also hot. A completely different type of beauty than Jaehyun's, less classical but just as striking because he is not oblivious like Jaehyun. He exploits it. He knows his best angles, knows what clothes suit him and definitely knows how to give smoldering looks. Jaemin feels like he could learn a thing or two.

"I mean they dated for like, one year? Something like that, maybe less. I'm not sure why it ended, but two weeks later Doyoung was dating their other best friend and it was as if nothing happened."

"That's weird." Donghyuck comments.

"Eh, I don't know much about Doyoung's love life because I was a teenager with a big mouth, so we had an unspoken agreement to ignore, you know, _people_ we hung out. But he's been with Taeyong ever since, and the three of them never stopped being friends, so."

Donghyuck has an assessing look on his face, watching the two men in question. "Maybe they're poly. Maybe your brother has two boyfriends and you don't know. Maybe he's not monogamous."

"Doyoung is not poly. I think. Well, Jaehyun isn't. And I'm sure he's monogamous. He can be pretty possessive, from what I've seen. But maybe you're onto something, babe."

Jaemin is listening to their conversation with five percent of his attention at most and wondering if maybe, _maybe_ , Jaehyun would dance with him. He calculates that one more glass of wine and he'll be ready to pull Jaehyun to the center of the room and join the rest of the couples that are grinding on each other. He's walking towards the drinks and still wondering when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

It's Jaehyun, cheeks a little red, and that damned smile. "So you do go out. I was wondering why I had never seen you on one of these before."

"I never said I didn't, just that I prefer staying in. This is my first time here, though."

"You know Doie?" A pet name for his alleged ex-boyfriend. Just great. Marvelous.

"In passing. I'm a friend of Jeno's."

"Ah, little pretty Jeno."

Jaehyun is definitely drunk. Normally he wouldn't touch Jaemin, but he's progressed from the hand on shoulder to an entire arm and Jaemin is elated. If Jaehyun is drunk, then he can allow himself to give in to the next level of tipsy that awaits for him on the other side of the refilled wine glass. That means flirty Jaemin can come out.

"He is. So are you. I like your cheeks." He wants to punch himself, because his brain chose this moment to betray him and say the dumbest thing. "I mean, you're blushing a little. Pretty."

Jaehyun just pulled him closer. "Aw, thank you, Nana. You look cute today."

Well, he tried. His wardrobe consists of sweats, black and white shirts, and jeans. Jeno didn't let him leave the room wearing that to his brother's party. Donghyuck lended him a turquoise shirt from a soft fabric Jaemin swore to look into later, and a new pair of dark jeans that didn't fit him anymore since he started working out with Jeno. Jaemin even put on eye shadow. He's glad someone noticed his efforts.

He pulls Jaehyun closer to say "Let's go dance!" and is even more glad when Jaehyun laughs and follows him with no resistance, still touching Jaemin like they do this every other day, like he knows what it does to Jaemin and makes it on purpose. By now, after months of meeting every week, he knows Jaehyun is slow to catch onto any type of flirting. He knows he's safe to fail to conceal his attraction at least for a little bit. Jaehyun will never know, anyway.

"You're really good at this!" Jaehyun says close to his ear. He shivers. Jaemin wants to push him away or cling to him like a koala, he's not sure which.

"So are you. I thought you said you were clumsy or uncoordinated or something."

"In general. But I like to dance." He rests his hand over Jaemin's hip bone and Jaemin thanks whichever entity that's listening to his prayers of gratitude.

They drink some more, dance some more, and Jaemin feels free in the way only alcohol allows him to. A dumb and simple kind of freedom. Doyoung joins them and it's probably also the alcohol that makes Jaemin be nonchalant about it. Any other (sober) moment he would've bolted. But that's not the case — something else to add to his prayers — and Jaemin dances with him too. He's fun to be around, good to look at, and there's a bonus: Jaehyun watches them with a dazed and hungry expression that would make Jaemin audibly moan if he looked at Jaehyun for one more second.

Doyoung notices, because he notices _everything_ , but says nothing. Just pulls Jaemin closer, dances with a little more intention, and Jaemin could die a happy man. Jesus himself could descend from heaven and say _well, no more drunk dancing for you_ and Jaemin would say _that's ok, I had a good ride_ , and it would be absolutely true. He couldn't have imagined that by the end of the night he'd have Jeno's brother breathing on his neck, moving around him, feeling his skin, dancing with him, while Jaehyun devoured them with his eyes. But that's where he's at, and there's nowhere else he'd rather be.

—

Jaemin doesn't regret a single drop of alcohol he consumed at Doyoung's party. At least based on the memories he has. Some parts are a little fuzzy, he admits, but most of it is there (he guesses) and it's amazing. Perfect. He can still feel Doyoung's hands on his waist if he thinks about it hard enough (he'd rather not, he's in public), or Jaehyun's gripping his nape, caressing his skin. Nothing happened other than some horny dancing and drunk touches, but to Jaemin's mind it might as well have. He can't stop thinking about it even though he has to, considering he's staring at Jaehyun, _again_.

They're getting into some academic vocabulary Jaemin has no idea if he'll ever use, but he's too weak minded to say anything to Jaehyun when he looks so excited talking about it. Jaemin has his job — working remotely for a digital marketing company as a graphic designer — that pays him well enough, and wants his fine arts diploma because he genuinely loves what he studies, but he's leaning towards never stepping a foot in a college campus again more than pursuing an academic career, at least for now. Meaning the complete opposite of Jaehyun, that has created a 5 year plan, 10 year plan, even, to grow in his field of research.

Ambition looks great on him. Jaemin lets him talk, focusing on what he's saying rather than his untimely travel down memory lane. Jaehyun acts like nothing happened, as if Jaemin hasn't grinded to some R&B song on him _and_ his ex. The only difference is that he touches Jaemin now, _platonic_ touches, and Jaemin can smell his perfume without feeling like a creep that leans over to get a sniff when the other person isn't looking. They hug when they greet each other and Jaemin can just breathe him in.

He adds that to his list: Jaehyun smells incredible. It's addictive.

—

Things get progressively worse when Jaehyun shows up wearing glasses. Jaemin's brain shuts down for a few seconds because _why_ would anyone allow this man to leave his house looking like a public health threat? The round glasses compliment Jaehyun's face even more than the blush he gets when he drinks (an event Jaemin is thankful to have witnessed multiple times already, although there were no more sexy dances) and Jaemin is certain this is some instant karma shit.

Jeno called him not five minutes ago complaining about him having mixed their white shirts with both red and blue hoodies and ruining all of it. He supposes they can still use the damaged shirts; pastel colors are in, this season. Or something like that. Donghyuck will know.

The thing is, Jaemin is not sure some ruined shirts warrant such strong retaliation from the universe. Jaehyun in glasses is probably making a baby cry, or even kicking puppies level of karma. He'd done no such thing. Jeno would forgive him in two hours tops, but he'd be stuck with Jaehyun in glasses (he should trademark it, it deserves) forever.

"I… I didn't know you needed glasses?"

"Oh? Have I never used them before? Huh." Jaehyun ponders, the face of innocence. "I forgot to buy new contacts after I lost them yesterday, but I'm thinking of wearing the glasses more. Maybe the students will take me more seriously, I look older with glasses, don't you think?"

Jaemin disagrees about him looking more serious or older in general, but he knows Jaehyun's students will take him more seriously as in marry-me-please seriously.

"It suits you." is what Jaemin settles as a response. Jaehyun looks pleased with himself.

Later, when Jaemin's walking home, he adds to his _Why is Jaehyun so pretty?_ list the way Jaehyun scrunches his nose to fix his glasses. He narrows his eyes, moves one side of his nose and upper lip while doing it, and, like everything else Jaehyun does, it's so fucking endearing Jaemin feels distressed. Maybe annoyed is a better word. It just _bothers_ him that he can't seem to dislike one single thing about Jaehyun. It's been _months_ of combing through every interaction and Jaemin is getting nowhere close to finding something. If anything, it's getting harder, the list longer, and his crush will probably become more than that in no time at all.

(Jaemin likes to lie to himself, but he can't lie to his friends, which means he told _them_ he's a little in love. He just won't repeat it in his internal dialogue.)

—

If you ask Jaemin, he'll say he has no idea of how he found himself alone in his room with Doyoung, of all people. Truth is he does know. Jeno is a demon, that's how. He is always late, and Doyoung is always on time, which means he arrived to pick up his brother, who is nowhere to be seen and won't arrive for at least fifteen minutes. He and Doyoung have seen each other multiple times and Jaemin has been to many other parties — not parties, Doyoung corrects, he's never putting that many people inside his house again —, they are not strangers. Not exactly friends either, more so because Jaemin can't help but feel intimidated by Doyoung.

He met Doyoung's boyfriend, and if Jeno didn't know about them being polyamorous or in an open relationship, now all of them did (it was the second option). Jaemin suspected as much, because Jaehyun doesn't seem to be the type of friend that'd let his friend do something dumb like (almost) cheat on his boyfriend in front of him (and dozens of other people), and even though he hadn't actually _done_ anything with Doyoung, it would be at least a little weird meeting the boyfriend of a monogamous guy whose dick you grinded on.

But he digresses. All that to say Taeyong is even more striking than Doyoung. The man is a model, as in it's his _profession_ to be hot. Jaemin actually feels flattered Doyoung even looked his way. Taeyong also happens to babbler when tipsy, and that's how Jaemin knows that Jaehyun and Doyoung broke up because yes, they tried polyamory and it didn't work, because they were young, dumb and horny, and had the emotional inteligence and communication skills of golden retrievers, but mostly because it wasn't something Jaehyun wanted. Jaemin shared that tidbit of information with Donghyuck, who shared with Jeno, and now everyone was updated on what happened on teen Doyoung's love life.

"What _exactly_ Yong told you that has you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing."

Doyoung looks at him like he's stupid (justified, Jaemin concedes). "I know he said something because he said he did but doesn't remember what, so spill, Jaemin."

"Right. Um. He told me about how you guys tried dating Jaehyun- well, the three of you dated and that it didn't work."

Doyoung hums in acknowledgement. "I'm sure he said more."

"Yeah, but you lived it, I don't need to tell you the details." Jaemin retorts, making Doyoung laugh.

"I knew you couldn't be friends with Donghyuck if you didn't talk back at some point."

"I talk too much, just not with people I don't know. But I guess I can talk to you, too." Jaemin's all talk, but, despite being forever intimidated by Doyoung, Jaemin likes him. He'll fake it until he makes it.

"Sure can. Care to share your thoughts?"

"Oh, no. Not doing that."

The knowing smile Doyoung gives him would be pretty if Jaemin didn't feel cornered. "So knowing that Jaehyun is unquestionably single and monogamous changes nothing for you?"

"No… Honestly?" Jaemin plops down on his bed. "I got curious because he's like, _really_ hot, but that doesn't change with his relationship status."

"So you'll do nothing about it?" He's not seeing Doyoung's face anymore, and he doesn't want to move, but he can imagine what it looks like. _You're dumb_ , it'd be telling him.

"What is there to do something about?"

"He's hot, you're hot, you're both single and like each other-"

"Um, we what now?" Jaemin has to have heard that wrong. _Has_ to.

"-and you could spare us from the eye fucking you can't control any time you drink." Jaemin grimaces. "And by you I mean you and _him_. Mentally fucking each other with everyone else as witnesses."

Jaemin covers his face because he's too sober not to feel embarrassed. He knows he does the eyefucking thing, and Jeno had already complained too. It's hard not to when Jaehyun caresses his back, his arms, puts his hand on Jaemin's thigh and squeezes it any time he laughs that deep, beautiful laugh of his. Doyoung is right. Jaemin thought he'd seen Jaehyun look at him like he'd done that first party — that time there was no other explanation, Jaehyun had sex on the brain — but he always brushes it off because whenever they are studying everything seems so normal, so mundane, like they are regular friends that just happen to be there having a conversation in another language.

"You don't seem shy to me." Doyoung says after a few moments of silence.

"I'm not. He's not the type of guy I usually go for, though." Jaemin tried to rationalize _why_ Jaehyun made him so flustered many times before and didn't get very far. The only conclusion he arrived at was that Jaehyun is older, hotter and more intelligent than anyone he ever dated. Jaemin never feels like he's less (he's pretty awesome and he knows it), but with Jaehyun he feels like _Jaehyun_ is so much more. "I've never been with anyone older than me, for starters. And he's just so- he's a lot. He's ridiculous."

"That he is."

"Did you know he still hasn't bought new contacts? He keeps walking around like he came out of an Armani ad, twisting his face trying to keep those damn glasses in place."

"Yeah, I saw him yesterday. He looks funny."

"You look funny. He looks fucking _hot_. Stupid hot. And when he's focusing on a thought and stops. Stops moving completely. I'll catch him downloading his perfect android software update one of these days." Doyoung is laughing, but Jaemin is not joking (mostly). "You know when he tunes out and purses his lips and his dimples get super deep? He looks like an idiot, it's so cute."

"Taeyong says he looks like bread."

"That's it! He does! It should be ridiculous, but on him it's just cute." Jaemin's up again, having gotten worked up from his outrage about Jaehyun's face. "I swear I made a mental list of things that would be flaws in anyone else, but not on him."

He sees Doyoung rolling his eyes, but he's smiling. "Maybe they _are_ flaws on him too. Maybe it's _you_ that looks at him differently."

"So you don't think he's hot or cute? We're lying now? That's what we're doing?" Doyoung throws Jeno's pillow at his face.

"I do think that, I just don't care anymore. He doesn't affect me, but look at you, Jaemin." Self awareness hits and yes, he got a little bit excited. "You're ready to be launched to outer space just from talking about him looking like bread."

"That's not all I said."

"And it doesn't change my point in the slightest." Doyoung's phone starts ringing and Jaemin is not sure if he's thankful or sad for the interruption. He got over himself and talked to Doyoung, he's proud. "I have to go, Jeno's downstairs waiting for me."

"You're not gonna say this conversation is not over or something ominous like that?"

Doyoung laughs as he gathers his jacket and wallet, getting ready to leave. "You watch too many dramas. I should've talked to Jaehyun, not you, but after I saw you kiss his _jaw_ the other day and he did nothing, I thought maybe you'd move faster."

Jaemin can't lie and say this conversation didn't give him a tiny bit of hope. "Maybe."

Doyoung kisses his cheek before Jaemin opens the door for him to leave. "I'm rooting for you."

"Leave, old man." He says as he closes it to a laughing Doyoung.

—

Jaehyun is on thin ice. Not that he knows it, but he _is_ , because Jaemin feels about ready to explode when they meet for something that's neither a class nor a date (friends, they're friends, Jaemin reminds himself, friends go out all the time, duh), and he sees that Jaehyun dyed his hair pink. Cotton candy pink, bubblegum pink. He can't look away when Jaehyun sweeps his hair out of his face, adjusts his glasses, and gives Jaemin that lopsided smile that makes him want to combust on the spot. He wants to scream in Jaehyun's face. What is the _reason_ for this attack?

"You like it?"

Jaemin wants to slap him. "It looks amazing. Should I blame you or someone else that we'll need to call the police to control the mob of admirers that will be following us around today?"

Jaehyun barks out a laugh, shoving Jaemin playfully. "You can blame me and Donghyuck. I mentioned I wanted to do something fun with my hair and this is what he came up with."

"He'll be hearing from me, then. Now you… Do you really not notice that we're being stared at by at least four people right now?" Actually, Jaemin had counted more since they arrived at the bar, but those four are blatantly looking at Jaehyun and within his line of sight. The bashful grin he gives Jaemin over his beer is answer enough. "Ah, so you do notice."

"Of course, I do. But I'm not interested in them. Although, it's nice for my ego."

Jaemin snorts. "Your ego doesn't need any more encouragement."

"Neither does yours, but I see the pleased face you make when you receive compliments. You love it." He does love it, but he thought he did a better job at playing coy.

"At least I don't pretend to be clueless." It's a harmless dig, and Jaehyun knows it.

Jaehyun gives Jaemin one of his best smiles, and Jaemin feels it in the pit of his stomach. "Come on, tell me more about how dashing I am with pink hair. I'm so, so clueless, I need you to tell me."

"You're committing to the character, huh?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I want to know what you think, that's all."

See, Jaemin knows this is bait. Jaehyun is luring him in by sounding like he's joking, but he's truly not. He wants to hear Jaemin praise him, and there's nothing more Jaemin would like to do. Maybe Doyoung was right, maybe he will move first, and Jaehyun is giving him the opportunity to do so.

"When I saw you that first day with glasses I was so mad at you." He says, and Jaehyun narrows his eyes as if to say _where is this going?_ "You shouldn't be allowed to look like that. It's not safe. You looked _so good_. I don't remember much from that day because all I could think about was 'wow, he really looks like this in real life'. It's not fair."

Jaehyun looks delighted. "I noticed you weren't paying attention."

"Your fault. Totally your fault. But this?" Jaemin gestures to Jaehyun's face and hair. "This is a public hazard. Not one student of yours will be able to function. You should wear a beanie or something."

"Now _that_ would look stupid."

"I can bet you right now it wouldn't." He sighs, because he can already imagine Jaehyun showing up wearing a hoodie and a beanie and the urge to jump on his lap would be too strong. "So, now you know. I think you're hot. You with glasses, you dressed in all black, you with a beanie. The hair is… Let's not go there."

Jaemin notices Jaehyun got closer when he was talking. The hand he likes so much is resting on his thigh again and he can feel the heat of Jaehyun's body on his side. He can smell his perfume — still the best scent he ever smelled in a man, fruity, light and enticing —, and Jaemin could kiss him. It dawns on him that he really can, Jaehyun is that close. He blushes out of nowhere, but at least he can see that Jaehyun is nervous too. His ears are red, and the apples of his cheeks have a soft pink tint. Jaemin could eat him.

"You know," Jaehyun starts, "Doyoung gets on my nerves about you. Ever since that day at that first party, he keeps nagging at me, saying that I should pay more attention to you, that you'd be interested in more than tutoring, that, and this is a direct quote, you're smart and hot and just my type."

"Doyoung talks too much." Jaemin grumbles. Part of him loves to know Doyoung said that about him, but the other part focuses on him being Jaehyun's type. _He_ is Jaehyun's type.

"But I already pay attention, so he might as well have talked to a wall"

Jaemin is vibrating with excitement. He scoots closer and throws a leg over Jaehyun's, who starts caressing it. "Let's elaborate on that. This is my time slot to be praised."

"You look so smug."

He feels smug. "Don't stall."

"I noticed you are a physical person, always touching and squeezing. Your hands. It's hard not staring at them when you play with your pen, or your rings. And you pout when you focus, it's cute. But you also look intimidating and unattainable when you're just standing there, like a sculpture. That's pretty hot. I know that you like the way I smell because you always find an excuse to get closer and take a sniff." That's not the entire reason Jaemin gets closer. There's also the fact that Jaehyun's skin is so soft, like peach, he wants to keep touching it. "But it's ok because I can do the same."

"Oh?"

"What is it? Mandarin?" Jaemin grins because that's pretty close to what he uses. "It's good. It makes me want to kiss you." Jaehyun murmurs. He's looking at Jaemin's lips, and it takes everything in him not to close the distance.

"But you never did."

"You… are really similar to me, in that aspect. I was never sure if you were just charming because that's who you are naturally or if it was intentional."

"Both." Because it's true: he always wanted Jaehyun to pay attention to him. He didn't think it had worked.

Jaehyun kisses him then. He grips Jaemin's other leg, pulling him sideways on his lap, and kisses him. Jaemin is glad they are at a corner, so no one passing will think much of it, and as for the men and women that were staring before… They can get their fill. There's no way Jaemin will deny himself Jaehyun's kisses because someone's looking. He knows how they must look and, honestly, Jaemin would've liked to watch that too.

Jaehyun's lips are soft, juicy, and Jaemin cups his jaw with his hand, pulling him and deepening the kiss. Jaemin moans, and Jaehyun takes that as encouragement. He raises his hand on his thigh and grips harder, closer to his hip. They kiss until his lips tingle, until he comes up for air and pushes Jaehyun away, seeing that he looks ravished, hair all over the place courtesy of the way Jaemin's hands ran through it.

"We should go somewhere else." Jaehyun mumbles to his lips, following Jaemin's mouth to continue what they started.

Jaemin doesn't remember much from the walk from the bar to Jaehyun's apartment. In no time he's in Jaehyun's bed, feeling Jaehyun's skin and scent all over. He's being pushed onto the mattress and feeling the delicious weight of Jaehyun on top of him. He's being bitten, kissed and licked. He feels Jaehyun's pulse under his mouth on his neck, he sucks Jaehyun's earlobe just to hear him moan a little louder, becoming more desperate as he traces a path with his tongue on Jaehyun's abs. He can stay in that moment forever, never leaving this room.

Later, when they say goodbye and Jeamin is going home, he receives a simple text saying _come back, bb_ and he doesn't think twice before letting Jeno know that he won't be going home anytime soon.

—

"Now what the _fuck_ happened to you?" Donghyuck asks, eyes wide. Jeno shakes his head, having had the same reaction before.

("Holy fuck." Jeno says, shocked. "You might not need to go to work, but your boyfriend does. Chill with the marking, dude.")

Maybe Jaemin should have asked Jaehyun to take it easy on the biting, but he was lost in the moment, and who can blame him? Jaehyun has the sharpest canine teeth, and Jaemin looks like he fought with a vampire and lost. He found out about Jaemin's sensitive spots, his neck being on the top 5, and exploited them mercilessly. Obviously, Jaehyun's teeth had been added to his list.

"Should've seen the first day. He looked like he had just been released from some obscure sex dungeon." Jeno offers.

Donghyuck wipes a nonexistent teardrop from his eye. "My babies finally fucking, I am _so_ proud."

Jaemin twists his face. "What a weird ass sentence."

"If it helps, Jaehyun looks about the same. Both of them have vampire teeth."

Jeno is right. Jaemin is a little proud of the way Jaehyun looks wrecked after they spend long periods of time together. Jaehyun looks blissful and run over. He looks exactly like Jaemin wanted to make him look all those months daydreaming in class. It's cold and Jaehyun likes scarfs, a saving grace for the two of them, but they regret nothing.

"That's what I like to hear! I'm happy for you." Jaemin believes him. Donghyuck turns to Jeno. "I'm also happy we'll get the place to ourselves now, baby, because our friend will be too busy fucking his older boyfriend, who owns an apartment _and_ a car!" His friend gasps mockingly. "Isn't it great?"

Jaemin can't help but roll his eyes. "You're unbelievable."

"Yeah, well, what I also am is right." Donghyuck shrugs, but moves on with his agenda. "So when are you going back to his place?"

"Tonight." Jaemin mumbles, and his friends laugh.

"See, Jeno, he's going to spend the night with his boyfriend that lives _alone_!"

Donghyuck could've saved the jazz hands, but it makes Jeno laugh some more. "I see, baby, I see."

—

Jaemin thought that after months together — travelling, going out, running, playing video games, telling jokes, eating, fucking —, doing everything together, he'd stop adding things to his list. He changed the name from _Why is Jaehyun so pretty?_ to _Everything I ~~like~~ love about Jaehyun_, because now it includes plenty of acts of service, sex related or not, and personality traits. Still, the most recent addition, and Jaemin has no idea how he went so long without noticing, is the way Jaehyun cracks his neck.

Jaemin went from never having noticed to full awareness after one time seeing him do it. He was coming out of the bathroom freshly showered, with just a towel around his waist to cover him, and walked to his closet to get shorts to sleep comfortably. He stopped, looked at Jaemin and cracked his neck, unintentionally putting on a sexy dazed expression on his face. Jaemin went feral. What the _fuck_ was that?

And he did it everywhere, too. Jaemin watched him do it while waiting for him to finish his lecture, when trying a suit on for a formal event they'd be going next month, and even before getting ready to fry some eggs, the most ordinary thing. Jaehyun threw his head back a little, slightly parted his lips and closed his eyes, and did the smallest roll of his shoulders. Cracked his neck to one side, then the other, and that was it, Jaemin was ready to climb him.

Climb him he did. Jaehyun laughed and made fun of him, but, being the victim of Jaemin's new discovery and its consequences, he also exploited it. Jaemin saw the glint in his eye, in his barely contained smirk, that Jaehyun did it on purpose, knowing Jaemin wouldn't be able to resist (not that Jaemin tried very hard, but it's the principle of the thing). Jaemin was compelled by the sheer sexiness of his boyfriend relieving his muscles after a long day of work to do whatever he could to put back that blissful expression on Jaehyun's face, and sometimes the most efficient way to get that done was giving him an orgasm or two.

"You want more coffee?" Jaemin hums in agreement. "We're gonna be late if you don't wake up."

"I'm up."

Jaehyun runs a hand through Jaemin's hair, and he thinks he might have purred. "But you're not awake. Eat, Nana."

They eat in silence, basking at each other's presence, and Jaemin sees Jaehyun looking at his hand, the one that's playing with the edge of his own shirt. He smiles to himself, glad that yes, Jaehyun is still very much enamored with his hands. Their fingers touch when he offers Jaehyun his plate to be put in the sink and he notices Jaehyun lingers. Jaemin is wide awake now, and very pleased.

He gets up and hugs Jaehyun from behind, stopping him from whatever he was doing. The dishes can wait. It's the best kind of hug. He inhales deeply, Jaehyun's perfume muted after the shower he took earlier, but still there, on the nape of his neck. Jaemin loves Jaehyun's neck, loves leaving fake bites on his shoulders, loves burying his face there and staying until Jaehyun has to move again to do things, which, Jaemin thinks, are not that important if they're taking Jaehyun out of his arms, but, well. Life and stuff.

"I like it when you do that." Jaehyun says as he grabs Jaemin's arms that are resting on his front.

He doesn't get up from the comfortable spot he found right on Jaehyun's trapezius. "When I do what?"

"Hold me. Like this."

"I'll add it to my list. Jae loves when I hug him from behind."

"Ah, the infamous list." Jaemin feels Jaehyun vibrating with the soft laughter. "Will you ever show it to me?"

"I never wrote it down, it's all in my head. But maybe I will, it's getting harder to keep track."

Jaehyun disentangles from Jaemin just so he can turn around and face him, a different kind of hug. Equally good because this way Jaemin can improve the details he already memorized of his boyfriend's face, the little things that make Jaemin swoon if he focuses on them too much.

"Too many things that you love about me, huh?" He gives Jaemin a light kiss, cheeks pink just like Jaemin loves.

"Way too many."

**Author's Note:**

> in the name of research… first, [the back hug](https://twitter.com/myfullsunshinys/status/1341115319339732992?s=20). URGH. 
> 
> ok, so here's jaehyun [cracking his neck](https://twitter.com/i/status/1260532374586056704), [adjusting his glasses by scrunching his nose](https://twitter.com/jaehyunlovesyu/status/1357707612830257155?s=20), [looking like a bread](https://twitter.com/_jaemark/status/1362723367468617728), [laughing real hard](https://twitter.com/justjaedo/status/1362003857656582145?s=20), [being a loser](https://twitter.com/vampyun/status/1339570843802845186?s=20), and just [being cute whenever](https://twitter.com/jaehyunieo/status/1360607849466925058?s=20). i can't STAND the way [these two](https://twitter.com/joohoneyonehun/status/1342696872872439808?s=20) look so hot together.
> 
> if you had fun with this, i'm glad. thanks for reading!
> 
> [my twt](https://twitter.com/_honeyyyyyyyy_) if you wanna talk ;)


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